Spain dazzled and Portugal pulled off an epic victory in the final moments, on a truly memorable World Cup day. The Spanish team crushed Austria with a stellar performance, while Portugal staged one of the most intense and dramatic matches of the tournament against Croatia, securing their place in the next round after a breathtaking finish.
At the Metropolitano Stadium in Atlanta, reigning European champions Spain left no chances for Austria and easily stamped their ticket to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. Mikel Oyarzabal was the man of the match, scoring two goals and closing in on one of the most coveted records in Spanish football. Among his goals, Pedro Porro also made his mark by heading the ball into the net, solidifying an uncontested victory. This was the fourth consecutive match for 'La Roja' without conceding a goal, a clear demonstration of the defensive prowess of the team led by Luis de la Fuente.
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Oyarzabal is becoming one of the standout figures of this World Cup and, with two more goals, he would definitely be in the running for the Golden Boot, having already scored four times in the competition. With 23 goals and assists in the last 16 matches for the national team, the captain of Real Sociedad needs just one more goal this summer to equal the legendary Emilio Butragueño (1986) and David Villa (2010) as the players with the most goals for Spain in a single World Cup edition. This is a feat achievable by few and could happen in the much-anticipated Iberian derby against Portugal, which is shaping up to be one of the hottest matches of the round of 16.
Portugal has experienced a true rollercoaster of emotions in their clash with Croatia. In a match marked by several VAR decisions, disallowed goals, and a thrilling finish, the team of the Quinas demonstrated champion's mettle by securing victory in stoppage time. Ivan Perisic put Croatia ahead early in the second half, but Cristiano Ronaldo, at 41 years old, responded with a penalty goal, the first of his career in World Cup knockout stages, leveling the score and making history.
The game remained frantic, with goals from Ivan Matanovic and Ronaldo himself disallowed for offside, and Petar Sucic also seeing his effort invalidated for the same reason. In the final minutes, Roberto Martínez went all in by bringing on Gonçalo Ramos, who proved to be decisive: in the 94th minute, the Benfica forward headed in a superb cross from Rafael Leão, sealing the comeback and propelling Portugal into the quarter-finals.
The excitement was not over yet. Josko Gvardiol thought he had equalized for Croatia in the 103rd minute, but a new VAR intervention ruled out the goal due to an offside position by Mario Pasalic at the start of the play. The Croatian coach protested vehemently at the end, but fate was sealed: Portugal moves on, while Croatia packs its bags.
In the aftermath, Cristiano Ronaldo did not hide his emotions: “It was a crazy game, but this team never gives up. I feel immense pride in this group. Now we need to recover because the next game will be even tougher,” said the Portuguese captain after the final whistle, emphasizing the unity of the squad.
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Coach Roberto Martínez highlighted the team's resilience: “We showed character and maturity. We came in to win and we will continue with this mentality. The derby with Spain will be a true early final,” he declared at the press conference, already thinking about the Iberian clash.
With this dramatic victory, Portugal strengthens its title bid and now prepares for a high-stakes duel with rival Spain, in a match that promises to ignite passions and paralyze the country. Expectations are high, and everything points to a tactical and emotional battle between two of the best teams in Europe.
On the Swiss side, Johan Manzambi shone again, leading Switzerland to victory over Algeria with an individual run that paved the way for Breel Embolo's opening goal. Dan Ndoye sealed the deal and ensured Switzerland's passage to the Round of 16. The young Manzambi, just 20 years old, is being tracked by several European giants, including Newcastle, and could become one of the major transfers in the upcoming market.
The coming days promise intense emotions, with decisive matches and protagonists fighting for a place in history. The World Cup is heating up, and every minute can determine fates and immortalize names.
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